dimanche 22 juin 2014

Animals that don't Exist

The Love-Bird

The
common love-bird, passer Amare, has
one of the widest distribution-ranges of any known animal, except maybe homo sapiens. Bright pink of color, it
can easily be identified when displaying its mating-gown.

During
other seasons, however, its feathers can have a vide variety of colors, making
it a veritable chameleon of the avian world. From the deepest black to the
dullest brown, the love-bird can live in any environment, blending in perfectly
with the local bird-species. New findings suggest it can even change shape, but
definite proof has to be obtained.

Many
a scientist has thought he knew the answer behind the secrets of the love-bird.
Yet it is precisely when we think that we understand this mysterious creature
that, with a whimsical flip of its wing, it surprises us anew.

In
ancient religions, the love-birds often were the subjects of cults and rituals,
some of which have survived up until today. The Easter-eggs, for example,are thought to have originally represented
the eggs of a love-bird. A symbol of fertility and abundance, the eggs were
supposed to cause a bountiful harvest, and strong children.

Another
old custom was abandoned in 1817, when the last free members of the Kirara-tribe
left their forest-homes to live in the settlements established on the
chopped-down remains of their ancient hunting-grounds. The Kirara tribe stopped
all their ancient customs once they left their forest, and much of the history
of this scarcely-known tribe has been lost. Buz some eye-witness accounts of
early anthropologists in the region still exist. Despite the colonialist views
perpetrated in those documents, they still give us a valuable insight into
Kirara culture.

One
of them,Dr. Van Kraut, of the Amsterdam University of Birdology, wrote this
fascinating entry in the journal he kept while visiting the Futch colonies, in
1654:

“The
Kirara, savages as they are, nonetheless observe predictable rituals at regular
intervals of time, showing some primitive form of organization. The most
important one, I have been told, is the “festival of the bird”. It is celebrated
every year, after the first Yellow Crabs have been caught in the underwater caves
of the region. Luckily, I happened to be near the village at just such a time.

Cheering
and shouting, the savages paraded their catch through the muddy square in the
middle of their hut-circle. Then they deposited it on the ground, and their
“medecine-man” broke it open with his stick. Contrary to the other villagers,
whom were all half-naked, the “medicine-man” was wearing richly embroidered
robes, hung with stones and feathers and fangs.

Once
the shell of the crab was broken, and its tender insides exposed, the villagers
retreated into the shadows and held their breath.

After
what must have been almost half an hour, a small bird of the passer genus landed on the crab. At
first I thought it was just a regular bird, but soon I noticed the faint pink
hues in its feathers, and I became certain that it was one of the legendary
love-birds. It looked around curiously for a few seconds, and then started
pecking at the crab’s flesh.

After
the bird had swallowed his first bite, the villagers run towards the square,
yelling and cheering again, and the bird took off. After that, they cooked the
giant crab in a pot, and each of them partook of its flesh.”

Van
Kraut goes on to describe the ritual in more detail, but even from this
passage, it is clear that the love-birds held a very important position within
the Kirara’s mythology.

Another
thing worth noting is that Dr. Van Kraut refers to the love-bird as a
“legendary” animal, although they are some of the most well-known birds in the
world today. It seems that at that time, in the western world the bird was
known only through third-person accounts. Some attribute this to it’s amazing
camouflaging abilities, while others say this proves that the love-birds have
suffered partial extinction throughout their history, disappearing and reappearing
for reasons unknown.

Despite
its renown and its amazing ability to adapt, it seems that the love-bird
populations are facing a similar challenge today. Without any discernable
cause, it seems the love-birds are being affected by an unknown disease.
Despite theirpopulation remaining
stable, the individuals have become more sickly, and their vivid pink seems to
dull from year to year.

No
one knows what is afflicting these marvelous creatures, and it is imperious
that we discover the cause, and act now, lest these beautiful animals disappear
before our very eyes.